Light trap for insects

ABSTRACT

Several embodiments of an insect trap using attractant light displayed on a projection surface are disclosed. The insect trap can be mounted on a vertical surface such as a wall or on a horizontal surface such as a ceiling. The trap has a light source configured to direct substantially all light from the source to the projection surface. Insects attracted by the light pattern on the projection surface are immobilized on an adhesive surface. A method of trapping insects is also disclosed.

This application is a continuation-in-part of Ser. No. 09/604,488 filedJun. 27, 2000; now U.S. Pat. No. 6,493,986 which is continuation of U.S.Ser. No. 09/250,932 filed Feb. 18, 1999, now abandoned; which is acontinuation of U.S. Ser. No. 08/686,432 filed Jul. 26, 1996, nowabandoned; which is a continuation of U.S. Ser. No. 08/342,904 filedNov. 21, 1994, now abandoned; which is a continuation-in-partapplication of U.S. Ser. No. 08/000,264 filed Jan. 4, 1993, now U.S.Pat. No. 5,365,690, dated Nov. 22, 1994.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to an illuminated trap adapted to attract flyinginsects and immobilize the insect with a lethal surface. The trap uses asource of insect attractant light directed to a projection surface incombination with a preferred enclosure or housing configuration toincrease the capture rate.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

A number of flying insect traps using attractant light sources have beenproposed in the prior art. However, the prior art traps have utilized alight source which is exposed and therefore directly viewed. TheInsect-O-Cutor fly traps made by I-O-C use an exposed bulb with a highvoltage electrocuting system. Pickens and Thimijan disclose exposedUV-emitting light sources and electrified grids for trapping andelectrocuting flying insects.

Another trap system generally uses frontally or horizontally exposedultraviolet black lights for attracting insects to the trap. In the trapthe insect lands on an electric grid in the rear of the cabinet. Thegrid provides a low voltage pulse that causes the insect to fly downonto a nontoxic adhesive trapping board. The captured insect can then bedisposed of with the removable adhesive sheet. Grothaus et al., U.S.Pat. No. 4,696,126, discloses an exposed bulb adhesive trap. Lazzeroni,Sr. et al., U.S. Design Pat. No. 325,954, discloses a generallyfront-facing, exposed bulb trap. Aiello et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,959,923,is related to Lazzeroni, Sr. et al., U.S. Design Pat. No. 325,954. TheAiello device uses pulsed electricity to stun insects, coupled with anadhesive trap and an ultraviolet light source. Similarly, Gilbert insectlight traps use exposed bulbs and generally front facing entry spacesfor fly trapping purposes. Hollingsworth and Hartstack, Jr. disclosedata relating to the efficiency of various components of exposed bulbfly traps.

Larkin, U.S. Pat. No. 4,949,501, and the ARP Venus Flylite systemdisclose the use of an attractant light source. The light source and itshousing are hinged on a wall attachment means such that the unit ismovable between two positions. In the first position or vertical mode,the light source is parallel to the vertical surface and is placed at anangle of 90 to the horizontal surface. In this so-called “invisiblemode”, used during business hours, the trap is designed to keep theoperational components of the fly trap out of sight. When placed in thesecond position, the fly trap is in a “turbo” mode wherein the lightsource and housing are perpendicular to the vertical surface andhorizontal to the floor (or at an angle greater than 90 to the verticalsurface). This turbo position exposes the light directly to view, whichis asserted to increase insect attraction.

White, U.S. Pat. No. 4,876,822, discloses a flying insect unitcomprising a rectangular housing enclosing a light source, an optionaltop and an adhesive trapping surface. The housing components are eitherparallel to or perpendicular to the vertical mounting surface. The Whiteunit is designed for attraction to and entry of the insects through abottom opening.

In our work modeling light attractant fly traps, we have found that thegeometry of these prior art light traps neither displays the attractantlight to the maximum advantage, nor exhibits the best design foroptimizing entry of the insects. Another difficulty with prior artdesigns is that they are unattractive and/or too large for mounting inmany locations. In most situations, it is undesirable for people torealize that an insect trap is in operation, especially in restaurantsettings. However, many of the prior art designs are so large andunattractive that the presence of the insect trap is noticed.Furthermore, it is often difficult for the user to find a convenient andunobtrusive location for the prior art insect traps, particularly whenit is necessary to supply electric power to the trap.

The insect trap of the present invention is designed to address many ofthe difficulties present with prior insect trapping devices.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is a trap for insect pests, comprising a base, asource of insect attractant light, and an insect immobilization means. Amethod of using the insect trap is another aspect of the invention. Thetrap is mounted such that the insect attractant light radiated from thesource cannot be directly viewed. In one configuration, the insect trapis mounted to a vertical, planar surface, such as a wall. In anotherconfiguration, the insect trap is mounted to a horizontal, planarsurface such as a ceiling, floor or shelf. The surfaces provide aprojection surface for receiving insect attractant light radiated fromthe source.

The trap's base may include a wall forming a housing the wall having anangled surface. The angled surface of the trap is 90, less than 90, orabout 45-75, from the base surface.

The insect trap includes an insect immobilization means. In oneembodiment, the immobilization means is positioned within the trap'shousing, and the dead insects are captured within the housing. Theimmobilization surface is preferably a removable adhesive sheet.Alternatively, the immobilization means may be a pesticide, a mechanicaltrap, a liquid trap, or an electric grid.

In another embodiment, the insect immobilization means comprises aninsecticide which is applied to a surface inside and/or outside theinsect trap. The insects are attracted to the treated surface because ofthe trap's effective display of attractant light. With the latterembodiment, the insect contacts or ingests the insecticide and dieselsewhere at a later point in time.

Whereas prior art traps have sought to attract insects by directinglight from the source into the surrounding environment, the insect trapof the present invention instead shields the light source from view anddirects substantially all of the light to the projection surface. Withthe present invention, the radiated light is directed toward a nearbysurface, which creates an illumination area upon the projection surface.This illumination area is aesthetically pleasing, yet effective inattracting and trapping insect pests. We have further found that a colorcontrast between the projection surface, and the exterior of theadjacent fly trap's housing, also serves to increase capture rates.

The light source can be a fluorescent lamp, an incandescent lamp, alaser, a light emitting diode, an array of such diodes and the like. Aportion of the radiated light should have a wavelength in the range of3500 Å to 4000 Å. This is commonly known as the near ultra violet rangeand is particularly attractive to flying insects. The source can be atubular fluorescent lamp having a linear shape or a curved shape, a bulbshape or any shape in which lamps can be formed.

The light source can be partially covered to direct substantially all ofthe insect attractant light to the projection surface. The covering maybe a coating or a shroud proximate the light source. The coating orshroud may be opaque or translucent. Partially covering the light sourcetends to increase the amount of light directed to the projectionsurface, and to minimize the contribution of reflected light from trapsurfaces. The resulting light display effectively and efficientlyattracts insects.

An advantage of the present invention is its effectiveness in capturingflying insects. Insects are of concern in any setting, but particularlyin restaurants, cafeterias, and other settings in which food is present.The insect trap unobtrusively captures insects, without emitting anysound or odor. The enhanced capture rates are experienced even with thesmaller-sized preferred embodiments of the insect trap. Although oneskilled in the art would suspect that a smaller insect trap andcorrespondingly smaller entry opening would drastically reduce thecapture rates, we have discovered that the capture rates for the smallersized units are much higher than expected.

Another advantage of the present invention is that its design can beaesthetically pleasing. When mounted upon a wall, the insect trap havinga housing and the associated illumination zone create an aestheticallypleasing appearance similar to a decorative wall sconce. When mountedupon the ceiling, the insect trap is essentially out of sight and notnoticeable. The trap may be mounted on the ceiling and project an insectattractant light pattern on a wall. Likewise, the trap may be mounted ona wall to project an insect attractant light pattern on the ceiling.Since the mounting surface and projection surface may be the same ordifferent surfaces, there is great flexibility in the placement of thetrap. Indeed, the location of the trap can be chosen so that restaurantpatrons and others are not aware of its actual purpose.

Yet another advantage of the present invention is its ease of use. Thetrap can be readily mounted to a wall, ceiling, or other suitablesurface. The trap needs to be checked only occasionally for disposal ofinsects and replacement of the immobilization means. In one embodiment,the insect trap's housing is pivotally mounted upon the wall, ceiling,or other support surface. This feature facilitates substitution of theinsect immobilization surface, replacement of burned-out light bulbs,and routine maintenance and cleaning of the apparatus.

These features, along with other advantages, will become subsequentlyapparent, based on the details of construction and operation as morefully described hereinafter, reference being made to the accompanyingdrawings, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a first embodiment of the insect trap,showing the cooperative association of the light source, the housing,the reflective surface, the immobilization surface and the mountingmeans.

FIG. 2 is a side elevation, cross sectional view of the insect trapshown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a perspective, schematic view of the insect trap andassociated light display.

FIG. 4 is a schematic view illustrating two illumination zones for afirst, large-sized embodiment of the insect trap.

FIG. 5 is a schematic view illustrating two illumination zones for asecond, medium-sized embodiment of the insect trap.

FIG. 6 is a schematic view illustrating two illumination zones for athird, small-sized embodiment of the insect trap.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a fourth embodiment of the insect trapof the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the fifth embodiment of the insect trapof the present invention.

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the sixth embodiment of the insect trapof the present invention.

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the seventh embodiment of the insecttrap of the present invention.

FIG. 11 is a perspective view of the eighth embodiment of the insecttrap of the present invention.

FIG. 12 is a perspective view of the ninth embodiment of the insect trapof the present invention.

FIG. 13 is a perspective view of the tenth embodiment of the insect trapof the present invention.

FIG. 14 is a perspective view of the eleventh embodiment of the insecttrap of the present invention.

FIG. 15 is a perspective view of the twelfth embodiment of the insecttrap of the present invention.

FIGS. 16A and 16B are photographs of the second embodiment of the InsectTrap, depicting the illumination zone produced by a insect trap of thepresent invention.

FIG. 17 is a cross-sectional view of the sixth embodiment, taken alongline 17-17 of FIG. 9.

FIG. 18 is a cross-sectional view of the eleventh embodiment, takenalong line 18-18 of FIG. 14.

FIG. 19 is a side view of the thirteenth embodiment of the insect trapof the present invention.

FIG. 20 is a perspective view of the thirteenth embodiment of the insecttrap.

FIG. 21 is a cross-sectional, schematic view of a fourteenth embodimentof the insect trap.

FIG. 22 is a cross-sectional, schematic view of a fifteenth embodimentof the insect trap.

FIG. 23 is a cross-sectional, schematic view of a sixteenth embodimentof the insect trap.

FIG. 24 is a cross-sectional, schematic view of a seventeenth embodimentof the insect trap.

FIG. 25 is a perspective view of an eighteenth embodiment of theinvention showing the cooperative association of a partly covered lightsource, a base and an immobilization surface.

FIG. 26 is a perspective view of the partly covered light source of FIG.25.

FIG. 27 is an end elevation, cross sectional view of the light sourceshown in FIG. 26.

FIG. 28 is a perspective view of a shroud for providing a covering for alight source.

FIG. 29 is a perspective view of a nineteenth embodiment of theinvention showing the cooperative association of a partly covered lightsource, a housing and a projection surface.

FIG. 30 is a side elevation, cross sectional view of the embodimentshown in FIG. 29.

FIG. 31 is a perspective view of a twentieth embodiment of the inventionshowing the cooperative association of two partly covered light sources,a housing and a projection surface.

FIG. 32 is a side elevation, cross sectional view of the embodimentshown in FIG. 31.

FIG. 33 is perspective view of a partly covered U-shaped light source.

FIG. 34 is an end elevation, cross sectional view of the light sourceshown in FIG. 33.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The first embodiment of the insect trap is indicated generally at 5 inFIGS. 1 and 2. The insect trap 5 comprises a housing 11 operativelyattached to a light source 16, an insect immobilization surface 12, anda mounting means 10. In the preferred embodiment, the insect trap 5 ismounted upon a vertical, planar surface, such as a wall 20. (Thereference numeral 20 designates both the wall which is enclosed by theinsect trap 5, and the wall surrounding the trap 5). The insect trap'shousing 11 has a pair of opposite side walls 25, between which extends afront wall 26. The housing walls 25, 26 may have relatively smallcutouts or openings therein (not shown).

The walls 25, 26 of the housing 11 define an upwardly directed opening27. The opening 27 facilitates the walking or flying entry of insectpests. The insect trap 5 also includes a bottom wall 29. The bottom wall29 is preferably horizontal, and it has a continuous surface whichcontains no apertures. In the preferred embodiment, the edges of the flytrap 5 adjacent to the vertical surface 20 are configured to match thevertical surface 20. The trap's housing 11 encloses the illuminationsource 16 on three sides, and the vertical surface 20 completes theenclosure. Alternatively, the trap's housing 11 could entirely enclosethe light source 16, with the housing's rear wall (not shown) restingagainst the wall 20.

Light from the light source 16 radiates and reflects directly from theupwardly facing opening 27 of the trap 5 into a space generally abovethe trap 5 and onto wall surface 20 and ceiling surface (not shown inFIG. 1) above the trap 5. The wall and/or ceiling areas which receivethe light are referred to herein as the projection surface. When thetrap 5 is mounted on a vertical surface such as a wall 20, it can bemounted at virtually any height. Preferably, the insect trap 5 of theinvention is installed in a location which is at or above eye level. Theillumination source 16 is located near the top of the trap 5, inside thehousing 11 and adjacent to the vertical surface 20.

The light source 16 useful in the fly trap 5 of the invention comprisesa lamp radiating a portion of its light in the near ultraviolet wavelength range of 3500 Å to 4000 Å. Such light sources are commonlyincandescent or fluorescent electrically driven light sources that canemit a broad spectrum of wavelengths but are primarily optimized to emitultraviolet light. For the purposes of this invention, ultraviolet lightcomprises radiation having wavelengths that have been found to attractflying insect species, between about 4000 Å and 400 Å. The light sourcescommonly provide from about 0.5 to about 100 watts of light output;preferably, the lights provide from about 0.5 to about 75 watts. Thelight source may have a variety of shapes without affecting theinvention. For example, the light source may have a linear, bent orcircular tubular shape, an arc lamp shape, a globular shape, and thelike. Preferred light sources 16 are fluorescent lamps having from aboutone to about forty watts per tube unit. The trap 5 can use a singlesource or two or more sources horizontally or vertically arranged in thehousing 11. The optimum light source needed to create an effectiveillumination zone for insect attractancy will depend upon the size andconfiguration of the trap housing and/or reflective surfaces, thewattage of the illumination source(s), and the degree to which the lightis focused upon the projection surface.

As shown in FIGS. 1, 2, 25 and 29-32 the light source 16 may consist ofone, two or multiple horizontal fluorescent lamps. Two or more lamps maybe mounted vertically or horizontally in a parallel relationship. In thepreferred embodiment, the light sources 16 are mounted so as to be belowthe upper edge 71 of the housing 11. The light source 16 is thereforesubstantially enclosed within the housing 11. In this manner, the insecttrap 5 is mounted such that the light source 16 is not visible from eyelevel for people in the vicinity of the insect trap 5. The light source16 can be directly viewed only by looking downwardly into the insecttrap 5. The light fixture 30 for receiving the light source 16 can bedesigned for service or household power or for battery power usingelectronic conversion circuits adapted to drive the light source. Thelight fixture 30 can be mounted within the housing 11 with standardplug-in units. Preferably, the lamps 16 are fluorescent ultravioletsources in sockets 17 that are commonly attached to household or servicepower.

The illumination source 16 can be mounted directly on the housing 11 orcan be mounted on the vertical surface 20 surrounded by the housing 11.Preferably, the light source 16 is mounted on a fixture 30 attached tothe wall 20. The fixture 30 can be positioned in any portion of thehousing 11, but it preferably supports the light source 16 proximate thevertical surface 20. The light source 16 is thereby positioned optimallyto direct a substantial proportion of the radiated energy onto thereflective surface and/or onto the projection surface.

The “reflective surface” can be any surface that reflects or throws backlight. In the insect trap 5 shown in FIG. 1, the reflective surface isthe interior surface of the front wall 26, the interior surface of theside walls 25, the planar surface 20, and the ceiling (not shown). Thelight is reflected from the trap's angled reflective surfaces and ontothe vertical projection surface. The projection surface is the surfacewhich receives the reflected and/or radiated light from the lightsource. The projection surface may be a wall, ceiling, floor, column,etc.

The reflective surface may be located at a variety of places withrespect to the light's position. That is, the light source 16 can beabove the highest projecting portion of the reflective surface, can beat approximately the same height as the reflective surface, or can besubstantially below the high point of the reflective surface.

The insect trap's housing 11 can be manufactured in a variety of ways.The trap 5 can be molded as a single piece from thermoplastic materialsor can be assembled from flat or substantially planar components thatare attached by commonly available fasteners to form the angled sidewalls 25 and the flat bottom 29. Once the housing 11 is assembled, themounting hardware 10 attached to the housing 11, and the appropriateimmobilization surface and light source 16 can be installed. The insecttrap 5 of the invention can be hardwired in place, can be empoweredusing electrical cords, or can have batteries installed at availablelocations in the housing. The housing 11 is preferably made fromcommonly available structural materials including thermoplastics such aspolyethylene, polypropylene, polyethylene terephthalate; metallicmaterials such as aluminum, magnesium or related alloys; wood or woodproducts; reinforced thermoplastics or thermosetting materials;paperboard, pressed paperboard, corrugated paperboard, and others.

The first embodiment of the insect trap 5 also contains an insectimmobilization means. For the purpose of this invention, the term“insect immobilization means” includes any device, surface or materialthat can cause the insect to die, or which prevents the insect fromexiting the insect trap 5 after entry. Such immobilization means caninclude pesticides in the form of a surface, layer or trap; active andpassive mechanical traps; liquid traps into which the flies becomeimmersed; adhesive layers; pressure sensitive adhesive layers; high orlow, D.C. or pulsed voltage electric grids; or other such means that cantrap, immobilize, kill or dismember the insect pests.

A preferred immobilization means for the purpose of this inventioncomprises an adhesive surface 12. The most preferred surface comprises ahighly tacky, pressure sensitive adhesive substance 12 which is attachedto a cardboard base. One useful adhesive is a latex-based, plasticizedtacky acrylic, ethylene-vinyl acetate or vinyl acetate based adhesivecontaining UV-inhibitors made by the H.B. Fuller Company of St. Paul,Minn. Another useful adhesive is the Tangletrap adhesive made by theTanglefoot Company. Such an adhesive surface 12, installed within thehousing 11 below the light source 16, is positioned such that when aflying insect enters through the top opening 27, the insect will come torest directly on the adhesive surface 12. In the preferred embodiment,the pressure-sensitive, adhesive surface 12 is positioned upon theinsect trap's bottom wall 29, below the light source 16 and opposite theupwardly facing opening 27. However, it is to be understood that theimmobilization means 12 could be positioned at any other place withinthe insect trap 5 so long as the adhesive surface is accessible toinsect pests. The immobilization surface and the immobilized insectpests should not be visible to persons in the vicinity of the insecttrap 5 when the insect trap is in its normal operating position. Theimmobilization means could be placed on the mounting surface as long asit is substantially concealed from casual viewers. An electrical ballast(not shown) can be placed in the housing 11 beneath the adhesive 12.

A portion of the housing 11 in FIG. 1 is cut away for purposes ofillustration, to show the dead insects upon the immobilization means 12.In the preferred embodiment, the adhesive sheet 12 is removable anddisposable, and a fresh sheet 12 is installed within the insect trap 5at appropriate intervals.

The immobilization surface 12 preferably extends across a portion of thebottom 29 or across the entire area of the bottom of the light trap 5.The immobilization surface also may be located on the walls 25, 26 ofthe housing 11 and/or on the wall surface 20. In the preferredembodiment, the immobilization surface is a sheet of pressure-sensitiveadhesive 12. The adhesive board is changed periodically, as needed.Clear or pigmented white adhesives can be used to cooperate with thecolor of the reflecting surfaces of the angled housing walls 25, 26 toaid in directing reflected light onto the vertical surface 20. Theadhesive surface 12 could be fluted rather than flat, so as to increasethe available surface area for immobilizing the insects.

The trap 5 of this invention may include an optional insect attractantchemical. Insect attractant chemicals are typically organic materialthat are at least somewhat volatile and are products arising fromtypical insect food sources or are a pheromone or a mixtures ofpheromones. In the preferred embodiment, an insect attractant chemicalis incorporated into the adhesive which is utilized on the adhesivestrip 12. The chemical is preferably an oil-based food odorant or apheromone.

The insect trap 5 may also utilize an effective amount of aninsecticide. A variety of volatile and non-volatile insecticides andformulated insecticide compositions are known to be effective againstflying insects, and most can be used. However, the preferredinsecticides for use with this invention are nonvolatile formulatedinsecticide compositions that kill insect pests after contact. Suchnonvolatile pesticide compositions are not released into the environmentsurrounding the fly trap 5. Such materials include pyrethroid andorganophosphate insecticide compositions. The insecticide may be sprayedwithin the insect trap 5, and/or on the nearby projection surface. Thatis, the insect trap 5 could project light onto a wall or otherprojection surface, with that surface having an insecticide appliedthereon. After coming into contact with the insecticide, we have foundthat some of the insects would thereafter fly within the trap housing 11to die, while other insects would contact or ingest the insecticide, flyaround, and expire elsewhere.

The upwardly facing opening 27 of the insect trap 5 can invite misuse inthe form of materials or objects being thrown into the opening. In orderto protect the trap 5 from such problems, a barrier to such misuse whichdoes not prevent the entry of insects, and which does not interfere withthe direct or reflected radiation of light from the trap, can beinstalled on the upwardly facing opening 27. Such a barrier mustsubstantially maximize the open area of the upwardly facing opening 27and provide a minimal entry barrier. The grid or screen (not shown)should have openings large enough to permit entry of insects but smallenough to exclude objects that are thrown or otherwise directed into theupwardly facing opening. Such a screen or grid can be made from avariety of materials including transparent or opaque materials. Suchmaterials include metallic wires, synthetic or naturally occurring fiberthreads, thermoplastic grids, expanded metal, wire screens, etc. In thepreferred embodiment, the grid is constructed to have openings which areat least approximately four square inches in area.

Preferably, the trap 5 is mounted directly on a vertical surface 20 orceiling surface, as depicted in the various Drawings. Alternatively, thetrap 5 could be positioned adjacent a wall 20. For example, the trap 5could be placed upon a shelf or table which is close enough to theprojection surface to create an illumination zone. Additionally, thetrap could be mounted upon a portable support stand, so that insect trapapparatus would look similar to a conventional floor lamp.

Correct placement of the trap with respect to the projection surfaceincreases insect capture through direct radiation of light andreflection of light onto the projection surface. The insect trap 5 isplaced adjacent the projection surface at a distance such that lightfrom the trap is radiated onto and/or reflected onto the verticalsurface 20 and/or the ceiling surface. The first embodiment of the trap5 is preferably wall mounted and placed within 30-50 inches of theceiling surface. The interior of the trap 5 may be white or anotherlight color, in order to increase the attractant light display that isproduced.

In a preferred embodiment, an optional, additional shiny reflectionmeans 28 can be utilized so as to optimize the attractant illuminationcreated by the insect trap 5. In the first embodiment, the shinyreflection layer 28 preferably extends across the interior of the frontwall 26 of the trap's housing 11, as shown in FIG. 2. The reflectionlayer is thus at the same angle as the angle of the front wall 26.

The shiny reflection layer 28 can be made from metallic surfaces such asaluminum foil, metallized polyester bright-white reflected panels,silvered glass mirrors or other related reflective surfaces. The shinyreflection layer 28 may be positioned anywhere within the interior ofthe insect trap 5, such as along the interior of the side walls 25and/or front wall 26, and/or along the planar surface 20. In addition,the shiny reflection layer 28 could be positioned on the bottom wall 29of the housing 11. In the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, theshiny reflection layer 28 is positioned upon the interior surfaces ofthe front wall 26, and it comprises an aluminum foil or metallizedpolyester surface.

The shiny reflection layer may also be a separate surface that isinstalled within the insect trap at an angle other than the angle of thehousing's wall. In other words, the front wall 26 of the housing 11could be at any arbitrary angle with respect to other housing componentsas long as the shiny reflection layer's internal surface is positionedat the desired angle. This feature is illustrated in FIGS. 9 and 17, andis described below.

The color of the trap's housing 11 contrasts with the color of theadjacent vertical surface 20, so as to aid in increasing capture rates.In the preferred embodiment, the exterior walls of the housing 11 are atan color or darker, and the surrounding wall 20 is white.Alternatively, the insect trap 5 could be a white color, with theadjacent wall 20 being a tan color or darker.

The trap's mounting means can be any suitable mechanical system that cansupport the weight of the trap 5 and that can maintain the upwardly openentryway 27. The trap 5 can be fixed in place using a variety ofmounting hardware such as screws, bolts, nails, clips, flanges, etc., orcan be temporarily placed in the proper position using Velcro fasteners,pressure sensitive adhesive pads, rubber feet, etc. As an example, themounting means 10 illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 comprises a bracket andscrew device. The housing 11 can contain a flange, tab or hook thatattaches to vertical surface 20 by means of fasteners such as screws,nails, permanent structural adhesives, Velcro fasteners, etc.Additionally, the fly trap 5 can be suspended from the ceiling so as torest against the vertical surface 20 via suspending straps, cables,chains, etc. Alternatively, the attachment means can comprise anaperture in the housing 11 that permits the fly trap 5 to hang oncooperative hooks, protrusions or other suspension points on thevertical surface 20. The important characteristic of the mounting meansis that the trap 5 should be securely mounted on the vertical surface 20such that the vertical surface 20 receives a display of direct, diffusedand/or reflective light from the trap 5 in order to attract insects andincrease capture rates.

In the preferred embodiment, the base surface 29 is a separate piecefrom the rest of the housing 11. The front and side walls 26, 25 form anintegral shroud 27. The shroud 27 has rear edges 72 which rest againstthe wall 20 when the insect trap 5 is in operation. The base surface 29is mounted to the wall 20 in a permanent horizontal position. The restof the housing 11 is pivotally mounted upon the bracket 30, so that theshroud 27 can be moved upwardly into a position wherein the upper edges71 of the housing 11 rest against the wall 20. In this position theinterior components of the insect trap 5 are exposed. This facilitatesreplacement of the adhesive surface 12, and replacement of the lightsources 16.

The reflecting surfaces of the insect trap 5 should have a certainpreferred geometry. The housings in the prior art have reflectingsurfaces which have some capacity for insect attractancy, but the priorart has primarily relied upon direct exposure to a light bulb to attractinsects. We have found that direct exposure of the light is notnecessary for insect attractancy, and that an improved geometry of thehousing can substantially and surprisingly increase the attractancy offlying insect pests.

The first, second, and third embodiments of the trap all have the sameconfiguration, depicted in FIGS. 1 and 2. However, each of theembodiments has a different size, as specified below. The first, secondand third embodiments, the insect trap 5 has an upwardly facing opening27 and walls 25, 26 positioned at an angle α to the base surface of lessthan 90°. The angle is measured with respect to an extension line 95from the base surface 29; thus, when an angle is said to be with respectto the base surface, it is intended to mean with respect to the basesurface extension line which extends outwardly from the wall 20 andparallel to the base surface 29. The angle α is shown in FIG. 2. Theattractancy of such insect traps increases when the angle α is less than90°, and the attractancy peaks at an angle α of 45-75°, most preferablyabout 60° between the reflecting surface and the base surface extensionline 95 of the insect trap 5.

The first, second and third embodiments of the trap each has planarhousing walls 25, 26. However, the housing walls can be planar, curvedor have other decorative shapes. The angled surface can be the housing'sfront wall, and/or its side walls. Such a slanted or curved reflectivesurface reflects and displays the light from the light source 16 on thevertical mounting surface 20 and/or on the ceiling in a highly effectivepattern that can substantially increase attractancy and capture rates.The curvature and/or slant to the housing's wall(s) results in anincreased capture rate. This increase in attractancy results partiallyfrom the increased size of the entry opening 27, and also because theangle of the housing's reflective surface facilitates the optimumdisplay of attractant light. The sloped or curved housing walls alsotend to prevent insects from simply walking around the outside of thetrap.

FIGS. 3, 4, 5, and 6 are schematic views of the illumination zonescreated upon the wall by the insect trap. In these drawings, the wall 20is the projection surface. FIG. 3 is a schematic view of an insect trap,showing the illuminated light footprint 32 which is created. We havefound that insects are attracted to the illumination zone 32 and thatmany insects initially alight upon the illumination zone before enteringthe insect trap. We have also found that a larger proportion of insectsalight on the bright zone 36 than on the remainder of the illuminationzone 32.

FIG. 3 is intended to represent any of the three embodiments 5, 33 or34. FIG. 4 illustrates the first, large embodiment 5; FIG. 5 illustratesthe second, mid-sized embodiment 33; and FIG. 6 illustrates the third,small embodiment 34. Each insect trap 5, 33, 34 creates an illuminationzone 32 on the wall 20 or projection surface. The illumination zone isgenerally above the trap. (The trap 5 may also create an illuminationzone on the ceiling, but this is not illustrated in FIGS. 3-6 forpurposes of clarification.) Part of the illumination zone 32 isdiscernible as being a “bright zone” 36. The bright zone 36 is the areaon the wall where the light is most pronounced and noticeable. AlthoughFIGS. 4, 5 and 6 illustrate a clear boundary 73 defining the bright zone36, the boundary of the bright zone is subjectively defined, because thelight is brightest near the lamp 16 and then diminishes gradually untilno further light or illumination zone 32 can be discerned. Theappearance of the bright zone 36 and the illumination zone 32 is moreaccurately depicted in the photographs of FIGS. 16A and 16B. FIG. 16A isa photograph of the second embodiment of the insect trap and itsillumination zone. FIG. 16B shows the same view, but it is marked up toshow the subjective boundary 73 of the bright zone 36. As is shown inFIGS. 4, 5, and 6, a reduction in the insect trap's size results in areduced size of the illumination zone 32.

The following Table 1 shows the dimensions of the three trapsillustrated in FIGS. 4-6. The first embodiment is shown in FIG. 4; thesecond embodiment is shown in FIG. 5; and the third embodiment is shownin FIG. 6.

TABLE 1 Size of Dimension of Dimension of First Second Third EdgeEmbodiment Embodiment Embodiment a 25.25 in. 19.10 in. 9.69 in. b 15.25in. 11.53 in. 5.82 in. c 12.00 in.  9.07 in. 4.50 in. d 10.25 in.  7.76in. 3.91 in. e 10.50 in.  7.94 in. 4.01 in. f  4.25 in.  3.21 in. 1.62in. Area of entry  258.8 in.²  148.2 in.²  37.9 in.² opening (ad)

The smaller sized insect traps 33 and 34 are advantageous because theycan be positioned in a wider variety of locations as compared to thefirst embodiment. Also, the smaller size makes these traps 33, 34relatively inconspicuous, which does not detract from the room'sinterior design features. Moreover, the smaller size allows for a directplug-in to an electrical outlet, thereby eliminating the need for a cordor allowing the use of a short cord. In the preferred embodiments 33,34, one or two nine-watt fluorescent bulbs may be utilized as the lightsource 16. The bulbs are approximately five inches in length, therebyallowing the insect trap 34 to be relatively compact.

The housing 11 of the trap can take a variety of shapes. The insect trapcan be generally circular, oval, ellipsoidal, can be an extended shapehaving parallel sides and either rectilinear or curved ends, the trapcan be triangular, square or rectangular, hexagonal, octagonal, etc.However, each trap configuration preferably has one or more angledreflective surfaces for optimum reflection of light onto the projectionsurface.

FIGS. 7-15 illustrate alternative embodiments of wall-mounted insecttraps of the present invention. These alternative embodiments employvarious housing designs. Each housing is intended to be mounted to awall or other vertical, planar surface. Each of the traps in FIGS. 7-15also includes a light source and mounting means, although these elementsare not illustrated for purposes of clarification.

FIG. 7 illustrates a fourth embodiment 37 of the insect's trap. Theinsect trap 37 has a rounded shape which is similar to a quarter of asphere. The interior, reflective surface is concave when viewed from thewall 20. The insect trap 37 has a substantially horizontal bottomsurface 47. The angle of curvature of the insect trap 37 (with respectto the horizontal) varies gradually between 0

at its bottom end to approximately 90

at the upper edge of the housing. Because the insect trap's housing iscurved, the angle of curvature may be determined with reference to atangent line taken along some point of the housing, with respect to ahorizontal extension line like the extension line 95 illustrated in FIG.2.

FIG. 8 illustrates a fifth embodiment 38 of the present invention. Theinsect trap 38 has a plurality of housing sections 48, 49, 50. Eachhousing section has a somewhat rounded shape which extends around toenclose the light source laterally. The interior reflective surface ofeach section 48, 49, 50 is concave when viewed from the wall 20. Thebottom section 50 has a bottom wall (not shown) which is substantiallyhorizontal. In the preferred embodiment, each of the sections 48, 49, 50is slanted outwardly from the wall, so that the angle of each section48, 49, 50 with respect to the horizontal base is less than 90°.

FIGS. 9 and 17 illustrate a sixth embodiment 39 of the insect trap. Theinsect trap 39 is shaped like half of a cylinder, and the insect trap 39has a horizontal bottom surface 51. With the design of insect trap 39,the angle of the housing 52 with respect to the horizontal base surfaceis approximately 90°. FIGS. 9 and 17 illustrate the use of a separate,planar reflective surface 76 which is at an angle α with respect to thehorizontal base surface. The reflective surface 76 may have an optionalshiny layer thereon (not shown). The reflective surface 76 may have acurved configuration and/or may consist of several angled surfaces.

A seventh embodiment 40 of the insect trap is illustrated in FIG. 10.The insect trap 40 has a front, triangular shaped wall 53, on eitherside of which is a side wall 54, 55. The side walls 54, 55 are slantedin a “V” configuration. The angle of the front wall 53, with respect tothe horizontal is 90° or less. With this design, the immobilizationmeans may consist of a V-shaped adhesive sheet positioned proximate thecenter of the trap 40. Alternatively, a separate, horizontal surface(not shown) for support of the adhesive sheet may be provided.

An eighth embodiment 41 of the insect trap is illustrated in FIG. 11.The insect trap 41 has a front wall 56 which curves outwardly from thevertical surface upon which the insect trap 41 is mounted. The insecttrap 41 has a pair of side walls 57, 58 which also curve outwardly, anda base 59. The interior, reflective surfaces of the walls 56, 57, 58 areconvex as viewed from the wall 20. With the insect trap 41, the tangentcurvature of the front wall 56 with respect to the horizontal basesurface 59 ranges from approximately 90° at the bottom end of the frontwall 56 to approximately 60° proximate the upper edge of the front wall56.

The ninth embodiment 42 of the insect trap shown in FIG. 12 is somewhatsimilar to the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 11. However, the insecttrap 42 features a front wall 60 and side wall 61, 62 which have acontinuous, planar surface, rather than convex surface. Each of thewalls 60, 61, 62 slants outwardly with respect to the planar surface 20upon which the insect trap 42 is mounted. In the preferred embodiment,the angle of the surfaces 60, 61, 62 is less than 90° with respect tothe horizontal base. The upper edge of the front wall 60 preferably hasa curved or domed configuration as shown in the drawing.

FIG. 13 illustrates a tenth embodiment 43 of the present invention. Withthis design, the insect trap's housing 63 is shaped like half of a cone.The bottom of the insect trap 43 terminates in a point 74. With thisembodiment, the angle of the conical housing wall with respect to thehorizontal is preferably approximately 45-75°.

FIGS. 14 and 18 illustrate an eleventh embodiment of the presentinvention, which is somewhat similar to the sixth embodiment illustratedin FIG. 9. The housing 64 of the insect trap 44 curves gradually outwardproximate the upper portion of the insect trap 44. The inner reflectivesurface of the housing 64 is convex proximate its upper edge. Asillustrated in FIG. 18, the front wall 64 has a gradual curvature, whichmay be measured by creating a tangent line 78 at an arbitrary point 79along the front wall 64. Preferably, the angles of the tangent linesproximate the upper portion of the wall 64 are less than 90

with respect to the horizontal, and more preferably approximately30°-75° with respect to the horizontal. The tangent line's angle is theangle between the tangent line and the horizontal, and this angle isdesignated as x in FIG. 18.

FIG. 15 illustrates a twelfth embodiment 65 of the present invention,which features a front wall 70 having a pair of slanted, invertedpanels, and which has a pair of side walls 67, 68. The insect trap 65has an upwardly directed opening 75, but may also have an optionalbottom opening 69. With the insect trap 65, the angle of the frontwall's upper panel 66 with respect to the horizontal is approximately60°.

For the embodiments illustrated in FIGS. 7-18, it is to be understoodthat they have all the features described in detail with respect to thefirst embodiment of FIG. 1. That is, each of the embodiments illustratedin FIG. 7-18 has a light source, mounting means, optional shiny layer,immobilization means, optional insect attractant chemical, optionalinsecticide, etc. Although each of the embodiments shown in FIG. 7-18 ismounted directly to a vertical surface 20, it is to be understood thateach of the traps could be mounted so as to be spaced away from theprojection surface. In addition, each of the insect traps could bemounted upon a portable or stationery support member. Each insect trapcould also be mounted proximate the floor, preferably behind anotherstructure so that people would not be looking downwardly into the trap'supper opening.

The insect trap of the present invention could also be mounted upon aceiling. FIGS. 19-24 show exemplary embodiments of an insect trap whichis mounted to the ceiling 83, rather than to the wall 20. Referring toFIGS. 19-20, the thirteenth embodiment of the insect trap 80 has ahousing with side walls 86, a back wall 87 and bottom wall 84. Theinsect trap 80 may also have an upper wall, or the ceiling itself 83 mayform the upper wall of the insect trap's enclosure. The walls 86, 84form a lateral opening 82, which allows for the walking or flying entryof insect pests.

The insect trap 80 has one or more light sources 84 which are containedwithin the insect trap's housing. The light source 84 directsillumination from the opening 82, thereby creating an illumination zoneon the ceiling 83 and/or on the wall 20, as shown in FIG. 17. Theillumination zone is effective in attracting insects into the trap 80.As noted above, the insects tend to alight initially on the illuminationzone. Further, we have found that flies alight on both the wallillumination zone and the ceiling illumination zone. The insect trap 80contains insect immobilization means, preferably an adhesive sheet whichis mounted to a vertical support member 85. Preferably, the insect trap80 is mounted within 50 inches of the wall surface 20. The insect trap80 is held on the ceiling by suitable mounting means (not shown).Preferably, the bottom wall 84 is angled downwardly, as illustrated inFIG. 17. The angle y of the wall 84 is preferably less than 90° from thebase surface, and more preferably approximately 30°-75° from the basesurface. This angle is designated as y. When stating that the angle y iswith respect to the base surface, the angle y is with respect to thebase surface extension line 96. The extension line 96 is a vertical lineif the base surface is vertical. The insect trap 80 may contain anoptional shiny reflective layer, insecticide, a chemical insectattractant, and the other features described above with respect to theother embodiments. Furthermore, the size and shape of theceiling-mounted trap 80 can be varied in many different ways, asillustrated above with respect to the wall-mounted units.

A fourteenth embodiment of the insect trap is illustrated in FIG. 21.The insect trap 88 is mounted upon the ceiling 83 such that there is alateral opening 89 which faces the wall 20. The housing 90 of the insecttrap 88 has a curved configuration like a quarter of a sphere, similarto the fourth, wall-mounted embodiment. The light source for the insecttrap 88 is a pair of ultraviolet lamps 91, which are mounted suitably tothe housing 90 or ceiling 83. A ballast compartment 92 is provided. Theinterior of the housing 88 has a removable, shiny reflection layer 93,which has an adhesive coating 94.

A fifteenth embodiment of the insect trap is illustrated in FIG. 22. Theinsect trap 97 has a lateral opening 89, which is formed by a housing98. The housing 98 has a vertical base surface 99, bounded by a bottomwall 100 and a pair of side walls (not shown). The rectangularconfiguration of the housing 98 forms an angle y of 90 degrees, i.e.,the angle of the base surface extension line 101 with respect to thebottom wall 100. The interior of the bottom wall 100 supports a shinyreflection means 103. The vertical base surface 99 has an immobilizationmeans thereon, preferably an adhesive sheet 102.

FIG. 23 illustrates a sixteenth embodiment of the present invention. Aportion of the insect trap 104 is mounted in a rectangular recess 105formed in the ceiling 83. The upper portion of the recess 105accommodates the trap's ballast compartment 92. Also within the recess105 are a pair of light sources 91. The housing 110 of the insect trap104 has a horizontal upper wall 106, a vertical base surface 107, and anangled bottom wall 108. The insect trap 104 is also bounded by a pair ofside walls (not shown). A shiny reflective layer 109 is applied to allof the housing's interior surfaces. The interior of the bottom wall 108has a suitable immobilization means, such as an adhesive sheet 111. Theangle y of the bottom wall 111 with respect to the base surface 107 ispreferably less than 90 degrees, and most preferably approximately 45-75degrees.

The seventeenth embodiment of the present invention is illustrated inFIG. 24. The insect trap 112 has a housing 113 which forms a lateralopening 89. The housing has a vertical base surface 116, an angledbottom surface 117, and a pair of side walls (not shown). In thisembodiment, the angle y of the bottom surface with respect to the basesurface is greater than 90 degrees. The interior of the base surface 116has a shiny refection layer 115, and the interior of the bottom wall 117has a suitable immobilization means, such as an adhesive sheet 114.

As with the wall-mounted insect traps depicted above, the illustratedceiling mounted embodiments are exemplary only, and changes can be madeas to the configuration and placement of the insect trap's variouscomponents.

In an eighteenth embodiment of the invention as illustrated in FIG. 25,substantially all of the light from the light source 16 is directed tothe projection surface with no substantial contribution from reflectedlight to form the insect attractant light pattern similar to that shownin FIGS. 3-6, 16A and 16B. Referring to FIG. 25, the embodiment 200 inits simplest form is a light source 16 mounted in an electrical socket209 which is mounted on a base 201. A portion of the surface 203 of thelight source 16 is covered or masked with an opaque or translucentmaterial that restricts the emission of light from the light source 16to an unmasked surface 205. The trap 200 is placed proximate aprojection surface, such as a wall or a ceiling, and the light source 16is oriented so that light is radiated directly from the light source 16to the projection surface to create an insect attractant light pattern.An insect immobilization means 207 is positioned on the base 201proximate the light source 16. The location of the immobilization means207 is selected for optimum trapping efficiency and may be varied basedon actual catch rates. The immobilization means may be affixed to theprojection surface so that the insect attractant light pattern forms onthe immobilization means.

The embodiment shown in FIG. 25 does not require a housing. Theillumination area formed on the projection surface is from lightradiated directly from the lamp 16. However, a housing may be desirablefor aesthetic reasons if the trap is placed in an area accessible to thepublic.

The light source 16 shown in FIGS. 25, 26 and 27 is a linear, tubularfluorescent lamp 210 emitting a portion of its light in the range of4000 Å to 400 Å or in the range 4000 Å-3000 Å. The lamp 210 can be anyconvenient length to conform to the size of the trap. A length of 18inches is typically used. The lamp 210 has two end pins 207 to connectthe lamp 210 to the electrical socket 209.

The surface of the lamp 210 is partially enclosed by a covering 203along its length forming an uncovered surface 205. The uncovered surface205 provides a means to direct substantially all of the light radiatedfrom the lamp 210 to a projection surface. The covering 203 may be acoating such as the polymer sold under the trade name SURLYN availablefrom DuPont Corp. The polymer coating may contain an opacifying agentsuch as a pigment. The coating may have some transparency to light, butsuch light does not have sufficient intensity to form an effectiveinsect attractant light pattern on a projection surface.

The covering 203 may also be in the form of a shroud 215 as shown inFIG. 28. The shroud 215 has an elongated, cylindrical shape with anopening or slot 217 forming an arc. The opening 217 runs the length ofthe shroud 215 resulting in a cross section perpendicular to the lengthhaving a crescent shape. The diameter D of the shroud 215 proximates thediameter of the lamp 210 so that the lamp 210 fits within the shroud215. The length of the shroud 215 proximates the length of the lamp 210.When the shroud 215 is fitted to the lamp 210, a portion of the surface203 of the lamp 210 is covered and a portion of the surface 205 isuncovered. Substantially all of the light is radiated from the lamp 210through the uncovered portion of the surface 205. The arc 217 formed bythe shroud 215 proximates at least about 50% of the circumference of thelamp 210.

The shroud 215 may be made from a flexible material such as plastic ormetal. If the arc formed by the opening 217 in the shroud 215 hasdiameter D slightly less than the diameter of the lamp 210, the shroud215 will form a compression fit with the lamp 210. This permits theshroud 215 to be rotatably mounted on the lamp 210 to vary the positionof the insect attractant light pattern on the projection surface.Varying the position of the insect attractant light pattern may bedesirable for aesthetic or trapping efficiency reasons. The compressionfit holds the shroud 215 in the desired position on the lamp 210. Theshroud 215 may optionally have perforations 211 to help dissipate heatfrom the lamp 210. The size and location of the perforations 211 is notcritical. However, they should not allow significant leakage of lightaway from the uncovered surface 205 of the lamp 210.

A nineteenth embodiment 220 of the invention is shown in FIGS. 29 and30. This embodiment is similar to the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 and 2except that the embodiment in FIGS. 29 and 30 has one light source 16mounted near the opening of the housing 11. The light source 16 is alamp 210 shown in FIGS. 26 and 27 having a covered area 203 and anuncovered area 205. The lamp 210 can be positioned to directsubstantially all light away from the housing 11 to a projection surface219.

A twentieth embodiment 225 is shown in FIGS. 31 and 32. This embodiment225 is similar to the embodiment 220 shown in FIGS. 29 and 30 exceptthat the embodiment 225 in FIGS. 31 and 32 has two light sources 16mounted near the opening of the housing 11. The light sources 16 arelamps 210 shown in FIGS. 26 and 27. The lamps 210 can be positioned todirect substantially all light away from the housing 11 to a projectionsurface 219. The invention is not limited to embodiments having one ortwo light sources, and may have more than two light sources.

Embodiments 200, 220 and 225 are shown with linear, tubular lightsources 16. However, the invention is not limited to a light sourcehaving a particular shape. FIGS. 33 and 34 show a U-shaped fluorescentlamp 230 having a base 221, end pins 223 for electrical connection and acovering 229 along its length forming an uncovered surface 227. The lamp230 may be mounted in embodiments 200, 220 and 225 in place of lamp 210.It is understood that an appropriate electrical fixture 30 for receivinga U-shaped lamp is provided. Lamps and brackets are commerciallyavailable from numerous sources.

Experimental Section

In the development of the insect traps of the invention, a substantialbody of work was conducted to discover the insect trap geometry thatwould provide peak capture rates for flying insects. We found thatinsect pests enter the trap either by alighting on the wall and/or theceiling, and then entering the trap by walking; or by flying directlyinto the insect trap and alighting on the first available surface. Wehave found that using either mode of entry, the most likely direction ofentry will be downward vertically into an upwardly facing opening, orhorizontally into a lateral opening. Accordingly, we have found that itis highly desirable to avoid placing any substantial barrier in theflying insect trap that would prevent such entry. The light sourceshould not be substantially obscured by any portion of the housing. Anygrid or screen installed in the housing should have minimal barrierproperties.

We have found that an effective insect attractant light pattern can bedisplayed on a projection surface by directing to the surfacesubstantially all of the light from a lamp. We have also found that theuse of a contrasting color, generally a darker color, for the exteriorof the trap housing, as compared to the color of the vertical surface,increases capture rates.

Capture rate experiments were performed to demonstrate the advantages ofdisplaying an insect attractant light pattern proximate the trap. Theresults are summarized in Tables 2 to 6. These experiments wereperformed using an insect attractant light pattern from a combination oflight directly from the light source and a diffused display ofreflective light. An insect attractant light pattern from directingsubstantially all light from the light source according to theeighteenth and nineteenth embodiment of the invention is expected todemonstrate similar results.

In conducting capture rate experiments, the fly traps of the inventionare installed in an appropriate location in a room having white wallsand ceiling, 50% relative humidity, a temperature of 80° F., insectfood, competing fluorescent lights, and a density of approximately onefly per each 10 cubic feet of room space. This density equals 160 fliesbeing released into the room at the outset of each experiment. The flydensity was optimized to reduce statistical noise in experimentalresults. The mean data represent the mean number of flies captured pereach one half hour. A prototype trap was installed in the experimentalroom in order to determine the impact on capture rates resulting fromtrap modification including the opening of the trap facing in a varietyof directions. Traps were installed with openings upwardly directed,downwardly directed and horizontally directed. Statistically significantdifferences between the upwardly “open” configuration and all otherconfigurations which are called “closed” were found (Table 2). The“closed” configuration indicates a trap having a bottom or side(horizontally directed) opening. The use of an upwardly facing openinghad a strong increase on mean capture rates and resulted in greater thana 40% increase in fly capture rates when a trap having an upwardlyfacing opening was installed on a vertical surface. The “control”experiment in the following tables comprises a flat bottom housing forsupporting the adhesive, but having no side walls to surround theexposed bulbs.

TABLE 2 Top Entry Configuration Replicates Mean* Std. Dev. Open 1223.083 6.067 Closed 12 16.417 5.017 Control 4 22.000 4.163 *Mean flycapture rate (number of flies captured per half hour)

Table 3 displays mean capture rates measured in flies per half hour andshows that a contrasting dark color significantly increases the capturerates for the fly trap installations. In these experiments, the wallsand ceilings were white, and the trap's housing was either white or tan.These data show that significantly more insects (greater than 34%) areattracted to a contrasting color in the housing exterior.

TABLE 3 Trap Color Replicates Mean Std. Dev. White 27 19.4 5.4 Tan 1226.0 5.8

An experiment was also conducted to determine the effect on catch ratesof different sizes of traps. Three different sized insect traps weretested, having the linear dimensions a-f shown in Table 1 above. Thefirst embodiment is the large insect trap 5, the second embodiment isthe mid-sized trap 33, and the third embodiment is the small trap 34. Asingle, nine watt UV bulb 35 was utilized as the light source in eachtrap, and the bulb 35 was horizontally mounted beneath the upper edge ofthe trap's housing. The room had normal illumination provided by ceilingfixtures. Each insect trap was wall-mounted. The experiment wasconducted nine times to arrive at the below insect catch rates. The sizeof the illumination zone was determined by marking the apparentillumination boundary on the wall, and then measuring the illuminatedwall area. Table 1 sets forth the dimensions for the first, second andthird embodiments of the insect traps.

TABLE 4 First Second Third Area/Catch Embodiment Embodiment EmbodimentArea of entry 258.8 in.² 148.2 in.² 37.9 in.² opening (ad) Area of full 1593 in.²   821 in.²  339 in.² illumination zone Flies caught 13.00 (9)16.44 (9) 10.70 (9) per 1/2 hour

The general expectation would be a significant reduction in capturerates for the smaller units. More specifically, one would expect that asthe area of the entry opening decreases, and as the area of theillumination zone decreases, the capture rate would decreaseproportionately. One would also expect that as the size of theillumination zone decreases, the capture rate would decreaseproportionately. However, our experiments have shown that the smallersized units' capture rates are higher than expected. Table 4.

The improvement in the catch rate for the second embodiment was 121%(i.e., the actual catch rate as compared to the expected catch ratebased upon the relative sizes of the entry openings) and 145% (i.e. theactual catch rate as compared to the expected catch rate based upon therelative sizes of the illumination zones).

The improvement in the catch rate for the third embodiment was 466%(i.e., the actual rate as compared to the expected catch rate based uponthe relative sizes of the entry openings) and 282% (i.e., the actualcatch rate as compared to the expected catch rate based upon therelative sizes of the illumination zones). To summarize, thesmaller-sized traps 33, 34 showed a reduced catch rate as opposed to thelarge trap 5, but the catch rate for the smaller units 33, 34 wassignificantly higher than expected.

As discussed above, a smaller insect trap is desirable for reasons ofaesthetics and convenience of placement. The above data shows that thesmaller units, even the third embodiment having an entry opening of only38 square inches, effectively capture a large number of insects.Accordingly, a preferred embodiment of the present invention would havean entry opening of less than approximately 175 square inches.

An experiment was also conducted to determine the relative effectivenessof a wall-mounted insect trap and a ceiling-mounted insect trap. Table5. For this experiment, the first embodiment of the insect's trap wasutilized, being mounted first on a vertical wall, and then being mountedupon a horizontal ceiling. Two twenty-five watt UV bulbs were utilizedas the light source in the trap, and the bulb was horizontally mountedwithin each trap's housing. The room had normal illumination provided byceiling fixtures. The experiment was conducted with only one trapmounted in the room at a time. The experiment was conducted two timesfor each unit. To begin the experiment, 160 flies were released into theroom (i.e., one fly per ten cubic feet). The immobilization meansutilized in each unit was an adhesive sheet: a horizontal adhesive sheetin the wall-mounted unit, and a vertical sheet in the ceiling-mountedunit.

TABLE 5 Embodiment Average number of flies caught Wall-mounted trap122.5 Ceiling-mounted trap 137.0

These data illustrate that the wall-mounted trap and ceiling-mountedtrap are approximately equal in their effectiveness in catching insects.The difference in the average number of flies caught by each unit wasnot considered to be a statistically significant.

While the above specification, data and figures provide a basis forunderstanding the advantages of using the disclosed geometry inilluminated insect traps, many embodiments of the invention can be madewithout departing from the spirit or scope of the disclosure herein. Forthat reason, the invention resides in the claims hereinafter appended.

1. A trap for insect pests comprising: (a) a bottom wall and a housing,wherein the housing comprises a front wall and side walls, and whereinthe front wall and the side walls define an upwardly directed openingwhen the trap is mounted on a vertical surface; (b) a light sourceprovided below an upper edge of the housing and enclosed within thehousing, wherein the light source provides insect attractant light, andthe light source including a light source surface; (c) a light sourcecovering that covers at least a portion of the light source surface suchthat a portion of the light source surface is uncovered, the insectattractant light is directed through the upwardly directed opening to aprojection surface outside the trap and above the trap when the trap ismounted on a vertical surface, and there is not an effective insectattracting emission of light from any portion of the trap except theupwardly facing opening; (d) an insect immobilization surface within thetrap, wherein the insect immobilization surface comprises a removableadhesive sheet; and (e) wherein the insect pests enter the trap onlythrough the upwardly directed opening.
 2. The trap of claim 1 whereinthe light source is a lamp.
 3. The trap of claim 2 wherein the lamp isone or two fluorescent lamps.
 4. The trap of claim 2 wherein the lamp isan incandescent lamp.
 5. The trap of claim 1 wherein the light source isa light emitting diode.
 6. The trap of claim 1 wherein the light sourceis an array of light emitting diodes.
 7. The trap of claim 1 wherein thelight source emits radiation in the range 3500 Å to 4000 Å.
 8. The trapof claim 1 wherein the light source covering is a coating.
 9. The trapof claim 8 wherein the coating comprises a polymeric coating.
 10. Thetrap of claim 9 wherein the polymeric coating comprises a pigment. 11.The trap of claim 8 wherein the coating is opaque.
 12. The trap of claim8 wherein the coating is translucent.
 13. The trap of claim 1 whereinthe light source covering comprises a shroud.
 14. The trap of claim 13wherein the shroud is flexible.
 15. The trap of claim 13 wherein theshroud comprises plastic or metal.
 16. The trap of claim 13 wherein theshroud has an elongated shape and a crescent shaped cross section. 17.The trap of claim 13 wherein the shroud is rotatably mounted on thelight source.
 18. The trap of claim 17 wherein the shroud forms acompression fit with the light source.
 19. The trap of claim 18 whereinthe shroud forms a cover for a portion of the surface of the lightsource.
 20. The trap of claim 1 wherein the light forms an insectattractant light pattern.
 21. The trap of claim 1 wherein the insectimmobilization surface comprises a lethal surface.
 22. The trap of claim1 wherein the trap comprises an insect attractant chemical.
 23. The trapof claim 22 wherein the attractant comprises a pheromone.
 24. The trapof claim 1 wherein the trap is portable.
 25. The trap of claim 1 whereinthe front wall has a tangent at an angle of about 90° from an angle ofthe base.
 26. The trap of claim 1 wherein the front wall has a tangentat an angle of less than about 90° from an angle of the base.
 27. Thetrap of claim 1 wherein the front wall has a tangent at an angle ofabout 45°-75° from an angle of the base.